Stories from RP Siegel
Finance
Top Utilities Reaching Out With Social Media
A couple of weeks ago I wrote a piece about the new trend towards electricity democratization and decentralization. This trend […]
March 7, 2012
Energy
Bill Gates Pushes UN on Food Productivity
Last week, Bill Gates gave a speech in Rome, calling on the UN to set a target for agricultural productivity […]
March 5, 2012
Energy
Fakegate Continued: Heartland Plays Up "Wronged Party" Role in Open Letter
The latest episode in the Heartland Institute’s so-called “Fakegate”scandal, in which Pacific Institute Director Peter Gleick admittedly obtained embarrassing private […]
March 2, 2012
Corporate Responsibility
Electricity Democratization and Decentralization
Please join us for a free webinar on February 29th where we’ll be discussing the role of sustainability in economic […]
February 27, 2012
Energy
Renowned Scientist Confesses to Stealing Heartland Institute Documents
In a startling disclosure, world renowned scientist, Peter Gleick, co-founder and president of the Pacific Institute for Studies in Development, […]
February 24, 2012
Corporate Responsibility
Half A Billion Acts of Green Have Now Been Completed
Back in 2010, in the months preceding the 40th anniversary of the first Earth Day an ambitious campaign, called A […]
February 22, 2012
Finance
Nature Conservancy Now Protecting Urban Jungles
Last week, I wrote about a recent, somewhat controversial, collaboration between the Nature Conservancy and the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. […]
February 20, 2012
Energy
Heartland Institute Caught With Its Pants Down on Global Warming
A number of internal documents were apparently leaked this week from conservative think tank, The Heartland Institute, revealing its funding […]
February 17, 2012
Corporate Responsibility
Has The Nature Conservancy Gone Too Far with the SI Swimsuit Campaign?
The Nature Conservancy may have just raised a few eyebrows, some in dismay, others from a more voyeuristic perspective at […]
February 16, 2012
Energy
Farmers Sue Monsanto Over GMO Patents
Biotech giant Monsanto has been in the news quite a bit lately, though probably not in ways it would like […]
February 14, 2012
Energy
Latest Study Finds More MRSA in Grocery Pork, Even When it’s Antibiotic-Free
A recent study by the University of Iowa’s School of Public Health that discovered a dangerous prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria […]
February 10, 2012
Corporate Responsibility
Monsanto Fails UCS Test for Sustainable Agriculture
Monsanto likes to think of itself as a sustainable agriculture company. Prominently featured on their website beneath a video that […]
February 8, 2012
Corporate Responsibility
Has the Clean Energy Boom Gone Bust?
Well, the vultures might be circling, but they might have to wait a while to pick the bones of the […]
February 6, 2012
Voices for Change
The Green Economy: Does It Include You?
This post was submitted for the United Nations World Environment Day blogging competition sponsored by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP). Please […]
February 4, 2012
Corporate Responsibility
Monsanto’s Foray Into GMOs Goes Into the Weeds
Those of you who can remember the Vietnam War will be familiar with the term “escalation.” That was when the […]
February 3, 2012
Finance
UN Calls Sustainable Development a Top Priority
The UN High-Level Panel Global Sustainability released its report in Addis Ababa yesterday entitled “Resilient People, Resilient Planet: A Future […]
February 1, 2012
Corporate Responsibility
Does Sustainability Increase Profits or Not?
A UN-backed survey conducted by Globescan and SustainAbility, of 642 senior executives, campaigners and academics found that the vast majority […]
January 30, 2012
Corporate Responsibility
Is There a Better Way to Stop Global Warming?
Most efforts to slow the impact of global warming have focused on reducing carbon emissions, because, according to the EPA, […]
January 27, 2012
Corporate Responsibility
What Are the Real Causes of Global Warming?
The folks at Skeptical Science have put together a review of various scientific investigations into the causes of global warming, […]
January 25, 2012
Technology
RMI Weighs in on Forces Affecting the Solar Market
Jesse Morris, Ned Harvey and Dan Seif of Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) held an online chat session on the forces […]
January 23, 2012
Finance
Corruption and Sustainability: Like Oil & Water Do Not Mix
Recently, the Guardian ran a post addressing the question of why eliminating corruption is crucial for sustainability. A first glance […]
January 20, 2012
Finance
Southwest Airlines’ Cabin Experience Evolves in a Sustainable Direction
Long known as a company not afraid to think out of the box, Southwest Airlines, one of the most successful […]
January 19, 2012
Finance
Is Bill Gates Really Batman?
It was Jon Stewart that first made the reference. He called Bill Gates “Batman” to his face on his TV […]
January 17, 2012
Energy
Germany Takes “Power to the People” Literally
Back in the 1960s there was a social uprising in this country. It grew out of the civil rights movement […]
January 13, 2012
Energy
EU Passes Law that Says: The Chicken Comes First
We’ve all heard the famous rhetorical question, “which comes first, the chicken or the egg?” Well, I’m here to tell […]
January 11, 2012
Finance
Tesla to Launch Electric SUV
People at the green end of the spectrum tend to roll their eyes at the very mention of the word […]
January 9, 2012
Energy
Can Synthetic Biology Produce Cheaper Biofuel? Should It?
News out of Washington at year-end included an announcement from the Department of Energy (DOE) concerning a breakthrough at the […]
January 6, 2012
Voices for Change
FDA Caves in to Lobbyists on Antibiotics, Putting Public Health at Risk
Maybe it all goes back to high school science. Maybe the reason I’m sitting here, writing, with urgency about the […]
January 4, 2012
Finance
India’s Solar Future Burns Bright
India is poised to become a solar powerhouse, a possibility on its way to becoming a reality, with sunny prospects […]
December 30, 2011
Technology
Google’s Green Czar Leaves for Facebook
In November 2011, Bill Weihl, left his post as the Green Czar at Google. Weihl oversaw much of Google’s $700M […]
December 29, 2011
Corporate Responsibility
USDA Approves Monsanto’s Drought Resistant Corn Amidst Skepticism
Last week the USDA’s Animal and Plant Inspection Service (APHIS) announced that it was allowing unlimited, nonregulated planting of Monsanto’s […]
December 28, 2011
Finance
2011: The Year in Sustainability
Without a doubt, the year 2011 has been a remarkable year in the journey to a sustainable future. There have […]
December 23, 2011
Finance
New Air Traffic Control System to Cut Millions of Tons of CO2
A few weeks back we ran a piece about how UPS was using advanced logistics to reduce energy consumption and […]
December 22, 2011
Finance
Chinese Minimum Wage to Increase by 20%: Is That a Good Thing or a Bad Thing?
On January 1st, 2012, a couple of weeks from now, the minimum wage in Guangdong, the center of China’s automotive, […]
December 21, 2011
Finance
Climate Counts Scorecard Shows Improvement, but Not Enough
Climate Counts is a not-for-profit organization aimed at increasing public awareness of, and bringing consumers and companies together in the […]
December 12, 2011
Finance
GE Uses Flex Technology to Make Inroads with Efficiency and Renewables
Back in May, I wrote about GE’s new FlexEfficiency 50 power generation technology. This groundbreaking system really extends the state […]
December 9, 2011
Finance
Who Really Sets US Policy on Business and the Environment?
Many environmentally concerned citizens in the US and around the world have been puzzled, if not to say outright […]
December 7, 2011
Corporate Responsibility
Top Gear Hosts Finally Give Thumbs Up to Hybrids With Luxury Award
It would probably strike you as somewhat out-of-place to even be talking about a car that won the British Top […]
December 6, 2011
Finance
Durban Climate Talks: What’s At Stake?
When UN climate chief Christiana Figueres kicked off the Durban Climate Summit this week, she told those assembled that a […]
December 2, 2011
Corporate Responsibility
Peugeot Launches 74 mpg Diesel Hybrid
For those of you, like myself, who have been wondering when someone would get around to combining the two highest-mileage […]
November 30, 2011
Corporate Responsibility
Unilever & Gisele Take Top Honors at International Green Awards
The Sixth International Green Awards celebration took place at a glittering gala in London last week. The awards, which are […]
November 28, 2011
Finance
RMI's Reinventing Fire Cuts Carbon by 82% While Saving $5 Trillion
In a major event at National Geographic headquarters last month, Rocky Mountain Institute’s founder and chief scientist, Amory Lovins, unveiled […]
November 25, 2011
Corporate Responsibility
Sustainability Culture Saves Billions for DuPont
Davide Vassallo is a global practices leader for DuPont’s Sustainable Solutions Group. As environmental stewards for a company that is […]
November 23, 2011
Finance
What Does Carl Pope's Departure From Sierra Club Signal to the Green Movement and to Business?
Carl Pope, the long-time Executive Director of the Sierra Club announced last week that he would be stepping down as […]
November 22, 2011
Technology
Report Shows Success of Mandatory Cap and Trade Program
A report released earlier this week by The Analysis Group, entitled “The Economic Impacts of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative […]
November 18, 2011
Corporate Responsibility
Motorola Asks: What is Abundance?
Along with the announcement of its new Android 4G WiMAX phone Motorola launched a provocative new ad campaign called Social […]
November 16, 2011
Technology
NASA Energy Forum Announces Top Ten Energy Innovations
Launch is a global joint venture formed by NASA, USAID, Department of State, and Nike to “identify and support the […]
November 14, 2011
Energy
Fracking Firm Admits It Caused Earthquakes
Given the twin concerns of peak oil and climate change, it’s no surprise that natural gas (with its lower carbon […]
November 11, 2011
Corporate Responsibility
Greenhouse Gas Emissions: The Good News and the Bad News
There was some pretty grim news on the carbon emissions front last week. According to the US Dept. of Energy, […]
November 9, 2011
Corporate Responsibility
United Completes First Commercial Biofuel Powered Flight
United Airlines just announced that Flight 1403, scheduled to take off today, Monday November 7th will be powered by Solazyme’s […]
November 7, 2011
Finance
IBM Supercomputer Tells Vestas Turbines Where to Go
As renewable energy technologies mature, we expect to see continual improvements in efficiency and performance. In recent weeks we have […]
November 4, 2011
Technology
Why the Internet Might Save More Energy Than It Uses
I don’t think anyone reading this would question the notion that the Internet has created incalculable benefits in today’s world. […]
November 2, 2011
Finance
Is the Occupy Wall Street Movement Sustainable?
Yes, I admit, the title is a double-entendre. There are two ways it can be read. Mostly, when this question […]
October 31, 2011
Technology
Nest Learning Thermostat: Shiny Toy or Serious Tool?
Check out our update on the Nest HERE. It looks a bit like a hockey puck, but it’s designed to […]
October 27, 2011
Corporate Responsibility
Sustainable Logistics Can Really Make a Difference
In the previous post in the series, we talked about measuring a supply chain’s carbon footprint and few ways to […]
October 26, 2011
Technology
New Technology Could Double Solar Cell Efficiency
Solar photovoltaic prices are coming down. Between 1998 and 2010, installed costs have dropped by 43 percent, and that does […]
October 24, 2011
Energy
How to Feed Nine Billion People and the Planet Too
Many people are becoming increasingly concerned about the ability of farmers to feed our ever-increasing population, and with good reason. […]
October 21, 2011
Corporate Responsibility
Reducing Carbon Footprints in the Transportation Portion of the Supply Chain
In many ways, a company is only as green as its supply chain. But how in the world do you […]
October 19, 2011
Corporate Responsibility
Bringing It Home: Is It Greener to Ship or Buy At the Store?
I can usually hear my neighborhood delivery driver coming down the street before he gets here, which isn’t such a […]
October 17, 2011
Corporate Responsibility
Virgin Atlantic’s New Waste Fuel Gas Program Will Save Billions of Gallons
As someone who travels a lot, I must admit that you can’t beat the convenience of air travel, which, despite […]
October 17, 2011
Corporate Responsibility
Is US Manufacturing Ramping Up Again?
A recent article in Harvard Business Review suggests that the stage is being set for a resurgence of manufacturing in […]
October 7, 2011
Corporate Responsibility
GE’s 2010 Citizenship Report: Are They Doing Their Share?
GE’s 2010 Corporate Citizenship Report makes the following statement early on: “GE businesses depend on the infrastructure, skills and institutions […]
October 6, 2011
Energy
Scientists Find More Reasons Why Forests Must Be Preserved
We all know that trees pull carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere as part of their photosynthetic cycle, turning it […]
October 3, 2011
Energy
Is There a Wooden Tee Shirt in Your Future?
Problems that are also opportunities, like the one we are facing now with our climate, have a way of taking […]
September 30, 2011
Voices for Change
Novozymes' Charcoal Replacement Kills Six Birds With One Stone
Update: 3p Editor Jen Boynton is on the ground in Mozambique following up on this story. Let us know via […]
September 28, 2011
Energy
Sustainable Minds and Spartech Join Forces To Reduce Plastic Footprint
I thought I would run this piece as a follow-on to last week’s story about Method and the Great Pacific […]
September 27, 2011
Energy
Is Climate Change Already Causing Violent Conflict?
For years, the Pentagon has been saying that climate change is perhaps the biggest threat to American security of all. […]
September 22, 2011
Corporate Responsibility
Method to Make Bottles From Pacific Garbage Patch
Method, the makers of home care and personal care products, call themselves ‘people against dirty.’ “Whether it’s fighting grime on […]
September 21, 2011
Technology
Subway Train Wheels: The Next Power Source?
Think of how much energy it takes to stop a moving subway train as it screeches into each and every […]
September 19, 2011
Finance
Al Gore’s Climate Reality Project: The Denial Ends Today
Al Gore is mad as hell about his campaign to get the word out about global warming being smothered by […]
September 14, 2011
Finance
Smart Grid & Residential Solar: A Match Made in Heaven?
Mark Twain famously said, “The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.” The same might be said of the American […]
September 12, 2011
Technology
New Japanese Wind Turbine Triples Power Output Without Increasing Size
Necessity, as we’ve all been told can sometimes be the mother of invention. In Japan, there is a necessity for […]
September 9, 2011
Technology
Breakthrough Material: Novacem Carbon Negative Cement
Most people, when they think about global warming, and the sources of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which, by the […]
September 7, 2011
Energy
Is Monsanto's BT Corn Losing Its Pop?
One thing about Mother Nature, unlike man-made machines or objects – she never stops being created. Nature is always changing, […]
September 5, 2011
Corporate Responsibility
Can New Refrigerators Help Cool Global Warming?
News of global warming continues to worsen, with epic storms and melting Siberian permafrost. As assaults continue on the already beleaguered […]
September 2, 2011
Corporate Responsibility
Hey Chiquita, Dole: Isn't the Use of Tar Sands Oil Bananas?
Have the producers of Canadian tar sands oil gone bananas? Or is it the other way around? Let me explain. […]
August 31, 2011
Corporate Responsibility
Walmart Takes Another Step Towards Food Sustainability
It appears that retail giant Walmart is ready to take another step on its sustainability journey. Sources within the food […]
August 29, 2011
Energy
Is GMO Corn a Threat to Fish?
Have shared in this column some of my concerns over the cultivation and proliferation of genetically modified foods. In response, […]
August 26, 2011
Corporate Responsibility
Are Thorium Reactors the Carbon-free Answer?
Let me make one thing clear from the outset. I have never been a proponent of nuclear power plants. I […]
August 24, 2011
Corporate Responsibility
Light-Bulbs, Responsibility and the Demise of the Common Good
In a move truly reflective of how bizarre American political life has become, there really was a bill sponsored by […]
August 17, 2011
Corporate Responsibility
Nissan Leaf Will Power Homes in Japan
This week, automaker Nissan announced a two-way charging system that will allow the new all-electric Nissan Leaf to not only […]
August 15, 2011
Finance
Can Innovation Lead Us to Growth (and Happiness) With Less Consumption?
I recently came across an article called, “How Can Innovation Decouple Growth and Consumption” I was intrigued by this as […]
August 11, 2011
Corporate Responsibility
In the Face of Regulatory Uncertainty, “Clean Coal” Teeters as Solar, Wind Carry On
This seems to be “clean coal” week on my beat. “Clean coal” appears to be teetering on a knife edge […]
August 10, 2011
Energy
EPA Drops Water Protection to Encourage Clean Coal
In another stunning reversal, our American government appears to have taken another step away from its sworn duty to protect […]
August 8, 2011
Corporate Responsibility
New CAFE Standards: Is 54.5 MPG by 2025 Really Enough?
Last week, the Obama administration made a dramatic announcement that unfortunately got lost in all the hoopla over the debt […]
August 5, 2011
Voices for Change
Is GE Food Necessary on a Warming Planet?
Last week, GreenBiz ran a story about Arcadia Biosciences entitled “Biotech Food as a Necessity in a Warming Planet.” The […]
August 3, 2011
Corporate Responsibility
Shopkick: A Spoonful of Profit Helps the Charity Go Up
We were taught in school that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line, but that is not […]
July 29, 2011
Finance
Study Shows Zipcar Having a Sustainable Impact in Baltimore
Last week, Zipcar, Inc, along with the City of Baltimore and the Parking Authority of Baltimore City celebrated the one-year […]
July 28, 2011
Technology
Tesla-Powered Electric Toyotas Come to Market in 2012
According to news last week, upstart electric carmaker Tesla Motors took another major step forward when it completed a $100 […]
July 26, 2011
Technology
SunPower: Fun and Games to Turn People Towards the Sun
This post is part of a series on Stakeholder Engagement sponsored by Jurat Software. Those of us who have been […]
July 25, 2011